Cruelty: John Ward, 19, has been jailed for eight and a half years after admitting scalding a five-month-old baby's face in a boiling hot bath

A drug addict who left a five-month-old baby girl with horrendous facial injuries after dipping her face in boiling hot bath water following a weekend binge was jailed today for eight-and-a-half years.

Jobless John Ward, 19, was supposed to be looking after the girl but had instead spent two days downing 30 ecstasy pills, 20 valium, amphetamines, cannabis and booze.

He had also bitten the girl and she suffered two unexplained broken legs.

Jailing Ward, judge Jeremy
Richardson, QC, said: 'The cruelty inflicted here almost defies belief.
It was not an accident it was deliberate cruelty in the midst of an
alcohol and drug induced state.

'You
have low intelligence, but you knew what you were doing. What you did
was truly wicked. You should never have responsibility for a child
again.'

Hull Crown Court heard how the baby screamed uncontrollably so Ward
rubbed the child’s face with a flannel and skin began to fall off during the incident in April last year.

He woke his girlfriend Kelly Horner, 23,
who had also been drinking and smoking cannabis, to tell her the
baby was injured.

Despite the seriousness of the situation they did not seek any medical attention for five hours.

When the pair finally arrived at Hull Royal Infirmary they lied to doctors saying it was the result of spilt tea.

Ward later told police: 'I chucked
her in the bath with the hot and cold taps running and when I came back
she was under the hot water tap.

'I forgot about the bath as I was making a cup of tea. I was about ten minutes.'

The girl suffered five per cent burns and only her lips were spared injury because she had a dummy in her mouth.

Neglect: John Ward, 19, and Kelly Horner, 23, admitted child neglect at Hull Crown Court after the five-month-old baby was left with burns injuries, a bite mark and two broken legs

Guilty: Kelly Horner, 23, has also admitted child neglect after failing to get medical help for the baby for five hours

Ward later admitted in interview he previously put the child in a bath when he was 'stoned' and forgotten about it.

He returned to find the baby had gone blue. He admitted then he had not sought medical attention at the time.

Judge Richardson added: 'The drug and alcohol fuel background to this case is truly appalling. It appears having taken a cocktail of cannabis, ecstasy, valium, amphetamines and alcohol you were in a position of responsibility for a child that was vulnerable and helpless.

'You placed the baby's face into scolding hot water. I have no doubt she was in agony. She must have struggled and yet you did nothing.

'You took no action for five hours until the skin started peeling off her face. You then began a cover- up telling doctors tea had been spilt on her.

'I have seen the pictures of the girl taken an hour and a half after she was admitted to hospital. The suffering from the burns leaps from the page.

'She is so young she is not capable of explaining her suffering which is inculpable. In many respects the sentence should be longer.'